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S pt 6, 9 J. B. GOLDSBOI ROUGH 1,876,496

DECKING FOR EXCAVATIONS Filed Jan. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l &

INVENTUR John B.GOZd8b010uh ATTORNEY5.

Spt. 6, F332.

J. B. GOLDSBOROUGH DEQKING FOR EXCAVATI ONS Filed Jan. 30, 1950 John LL/n4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 25. G'oZcZsbom M4 f5 ATTORNEYS Sept 63 JOHN B. ooLnsBononGH, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK DECKING ron nxcAvArIons Application filed. January 30, 1930. Serial No. 424,606.

This invention relates to decking for excavations and more particularly to decking of a temporary nature for use in the socalled cut and c0ver method of excavation 5 usually employed in the construction of subways and other underground passages under roadways which must be kept open for traflic.

it is the practice in such methods of excavation to provide a decking consisting of beams or needles, as they are usually called, arranged transversely to thedirection of the excavation and suitably spaced from each other to provide supports for longitudinal members or stringers which are usually set' about two feet apart and support transverse planks or decking forming a temporary roadbed during the progress of the excavation and the subsequent work of construction. Access to the excavation beneath the decking for the removal of excavated material and for placing therein the structural materials required for the temporary and permanent bullding operations is provided by means, of shafts placed at h'xed points along the route. These shafts consist of enclosures extending above the street and usually provided at their tcps with platforms on which the hoisting apparatus is mounted. To allow suflicient headroom for all kinds of vehicles these platforms are usually placed at least 14.- ft. above the level of the temporary roadbed. The shafts and platforms are of a permanent nature while the work is being carried on, which in the case of a subway may be from three to five years duration. During this time the shafts constitute obstructions to the free passage of vehicles thru the street and are a detriment to adjoining property not only on account of the light which they cut oil, but also on account of the fact that the excavated material must be removed from and the structural n'iatcrials carried to the shafts bv trucks, thus causing annoyance to residents and shop keepers in the vicinity of the shafts. In other words, the disadvantages of the shafts and platforms and the annoyance caused by their presence falls principally upon the property nearest to the shafts and frequently the beginning of work is delayed by the opposition of property owners to the proposed location of shafts in their neighborhoods.

With the present decking it is necessary to transport to the shafts for removal all excavated material and to carry from them to the points of use in the excavation, the required structural materials. All these materials must also be transported over the roadway from the shaft or to them as the case may be. points between the shafts and the structural materials required at such intermediate points must therefore be transported acertain distance below ground and the same distance but in the opposite direction above ground under'some conditions. There is thus a duplication of transportation which increases the cost of the work and prolongs the time required for its completion.

Insofar as the structure of the-decking it.

self is concerned it possesses many disadvantages. The transverse planking constitutes a more or less uneven surface which grows worse as the planking is worn by traffic over it thereby producing a roadbed more or less akin to the old corduroy roads. The passage of vehicles over such planking is attended with discomfort to their occupants and annoying noise to personsalong the route.

It isan-object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of the type of decking described above by providing a simple, inexpensive and easily constructed decking consisting of a plurality of adjacent hatches throughout the length of excavation, which may be-opened at any. desired point for the removal ofexcavated material and the supplyingof structural materials. The nature of the be quickly opened at times when traitic is The material excavated at w decking is. such that the hatches may o light or closed at times of heavy traffic to permit the roadway to be utilized to its full extent. Since the hatches are in the roadway it is possible to utilize portable cranes or derricks which may be driven to them for removing the excavated material and sup plying the structural materials required in the building operations.

More specificallv these objects of the invention are attained by fixing a plurality of spaced members, such as beams, in predetermined positions upon suitable supporting elements and bridging the spaces between these members by layin upon them in juxtaposition roadbed mem ers of sufiicient weight to remain firmly in 'place and of sufiicient strength to carry the heaviest vehicles likely to pass over the roadway. B virture of thls construction there is provi ed a roadway which may be opened at any desired point by simply removing as many of the roadbed members as may be required to provide space for withdrawing excavated material and for supplying structural materials.

Preferably the fixed members are placed transversely of the line of the excavation so that the members constituting the roadway run longitudinally or in thedirection of traffic, thus making a smooth surface over which vehicles may be driven at higher speed, more comfortably and with less noise than is possible upon roadways having transverse planklhe roadbed members are preferably of such wei "ht that they will stay 1n place without any astening devices except possibly in the case of the outermost ones and some intermediate ones. This in general will be sulficient to prevent any displacement of the free members due to tratlic over the roadway. Certain of the members may be provided with suitable devices normally out of the way, but which may be used for attaching lifting apparatus for the initial removal of these members when an opening is to be made. After such members have been removed the adjacent ones may be easily removed by suitable devices attached to the lifting apparatus.

As the roadbed members are removed they may be placed alongside the opening to form protecting barriers since on account of their weight they are not easily displaceable if hit by a passin vehicle and they also form a protection for workmen and pedestrians around the opening in the roadway.

Another advantage of the invention is due to the relatively less vertical space required they may be placed nearer the surface of the street and therefore above the pipes and conduits nearest the surface. These pipes and conduits as well as the deeper ones may then be slung from the members, thus greatly re ducing the cost and simplifying the work of for the decking especially when the supportmg members are arranged transversely since nave, AM?

temporarily taking care of them during building operations. In some cases the fixed members when initially put in'placc may even be laid upon the surface of the street and the roadbed members will then form a slightly elevated temporary roadway. Little or no preliminary excavating is required so that the docking may be quickly and easily laid during the hours when the street may be closed tov traffic after which the required subsurface operations may be carried 0n at all times.

The particular nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will appear most clearly from a description of certain preferred embodiments thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows successive stages in the process of constructing one form of decking and the progress of the work beneath it: Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of one end of a roadbed member showing a device by which it may be lifted; Fig. 3 is a view somewhat similar toFig. 1 showing a form of decking having portions of reduced vertical thickness as compared with the corresponding portions of Fig. 1; Fig. l is a similar view showing a third form of decking of reduced vertical thickness throughout, and Fig; 5 is a View on an enlarged scale showing certain structural details.

In Fig. 1 a pavement is shown at 1. a curb at 2 and a sidewalk at 3 on which a temporary gas pipe 4 has been laid preparatory to the excavating operations. As indicated at 5 the pavement is removed to a certain depth and an I beam 6 is laid on the exposed surface. Similar beams 6 in advance of the one just described are also shown, one of these beams being shown resting upon the exposed surface while the other ones are shown supported at their ends upon posts 7 which extend to progressively increasing depths in accordance with the successive steps in the progress of the excavating operations. Angle pieces 8 may be employed for retaining the beams 6 in place upon the upper ends of the posts 7, the posts or upright members 7 and the beams 6, therefore, form f-shaped supports. It will be understood that the beams will in practice be spaced from each other in predetermined relation to the required space between the permanent uprights of the structure to be erected in the. excavation so that the temporary posts and beams will not interfere with the correct placing of the permanent structure elements.

The roadbed consists of a plurality of members 9 laid in juxtaposition and bringing the spaces between the beams 6, these members being initially laid in place when the beams have been laid so as to provide a decking over which vehicles may pass while the earth is being excavated beneath. The roadbed members will be of sufiicient strength to carry the heaviest vehicles likely to pass over them with a sufficient factor of safety. With these requirements the members will ordinarily be of sufficient weight to remain in place upon the beams without being fastened to the latter. By way of precaution, however, the outermost members and such intermediate ones as are necessary may be permanently attached to the beams in any suitable manner, as for instance by spikes 10. The close fit of the free members between the fastened ones will prevent them from creeping lengthwise or shifting sidewise. Additional members 9 preferably like those forming the roadbed may be fastened to the outermost roadbed members to form a curb for the temporary roadway. At 11 there is shown a pair of conduits laid near the surface ofthe street, but which come below the beams 6 so that they may be conveniently suspended from the beams by suitable hangers, thus avoiding the necessity of any posting below the conduits. Vere the usual form ofdecking employed the transverse beams would have to be placed below the conduits in this case and an additional superstructure would be required above the conduits. As indicated at 12 sheeting is used for retaining the earth beneath the sidewalk during the excavation of the cut. the sheathing'rcsting against and being held in place and supported against inward displacement by the posts or upright members 7 preventing the side walls of the excavation from caving inwardly. It will 5 also be seen that the posts or vertical members T and the beams or girders 6 form shaped supports in which the beams 6 not only serve to carry the decking 13, but also serve as spreadcrs to maintain the vertical members or posts 7 against inward displacement as the excavation is continued and as the sheathing members 12 are. placed in position and supported against displacement by the posts 7. The structure thus formed is rigid and will prevent any inward displacement of the earth along the side walls of the excavation.

Certain of the roadbed members are provided with suitable devices such as eye-bolts 13, having their heads normally located below the surface of the members. As shown most clearly in Fig. 2 these bolts are arranged so that they may be lifted slightly for attachment of the cable of a crane by which the members may be lifted when an opening is to be made in .the roadway. After the initial member has been removed the adjacent members may be removed in any convenient manner until an opening of the re quired width has been produced as indicated at 14 where five members have been taken out, and laid along the side of the opening to form guards. I

A portable derrick 15 is shown in operating position at one end of the opening with its beam 16 in position to permit a clam-shell bucket 17 to be lowered into and lifted from the excavation for the removal of excavated material. By removing different members from the roadway at different times the excavated material may be removed with a minimum amount of handling below the surface while permitting a portion of the roadway to be kept clear of traffic. The removable nature of the sections of the roadbed permit portable devices, such as conveyors, to be conveniently placed in the cut to aid in the excavating operation and carry material from the less accessible portions of the cut to places where it may be conveniently removed by the buckets of the portable derrick. It will also be understood that the structural materials required in the temporary and permanent building operations may be lowered through the openings in the roadway at most convenient points to reduce to a minimum the transportation of such materials in the excavation.

As an illustration of an embodiment of the invention in actual use in connection with a section of a subway in course of construction in the city of New York, the following dimensions are given. It is required that the upright and lateral permanent structural elements of the subway be spaced five feet apart. Accordingly the beams 6 of the deckin are placed at intervals of ten feet and su stantially midway between the points at which certain pairs of the permanent upright and lateral elements of the subway will be located. Vvith this span of ten feet between these beams it is found that roadbed members of timber 12 inches by 12 inches satisfy the requirements of the load which the decking will have to carry with a sufficient factor of safety. These members are consequently of sufficient weight to remain in place and also to form effective guards when laid along the edges of an opening. As shown in the drawing five of these members have been removed and with the dimensions given an opening 5 ft. wide will accordingly be provided", which gives sufficient clearance for the usual sizes of buckets for removing the excavated material and for placing inthe excavation the structural elements required for the building operations. v

It is found in practice that openings four feet wide and ten feet long will in general be sufficient, for the removal of excavated material and the placing in the excavation of the required structural materials. Such openings in one side of a-roadway of ordinary width will allow sufficient space for traffic in both directions over the remaining surface of the roadway.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a modification of the invention in which certain elements,' such as the sidewalk 3, the posts 7 and sheeting 12,

are designated by corresponding members Jul) used in Fig. 1. In this case, other post 7, instead of every post 7 as in Fig. 1 carries a transverse I beam 6 upon the top of which the ends of the roadbed members 9 rest, while the other posts 7 are somewhat higher and instead of the ends of the roadbed members being laid upon the top of the corresponding beams they rest upon the lower flanges of the beams. The vertical thickness of the structure is, therefore, correspondingly reduced at these points.

A further modification of the invention "is shown in Fig. 4, wherein the reduction of vertical thickness may be attained at each point where the roadbed members are supported by the transverse beams. In this case the transverse beams 6' are of I shape as shown most clearly in Fig. -,5, and the road bed members 9 rest upon the lower flanges of the beams at both ends, instead of at one end as shown in Fig. 3.

In both of these embodiments-ofthe invention the roadbed members are modified as will be explained in connection with. Fig.

5. In Fig. 3 the ends of the members 9 which rest upon the lower flanges of the beams 6 are cut as indicated at 18 to fit under the upper flanges. A similar arrangement is employed at one end of each of the roadbed members 9 of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 shows on a larger scale the form of the cut for this purpose whether it fits under an upper flange of an I beam as used in Fig. 3 or under the single upper flange of an I shaped beam 6 as used in Fig. 4.

The opposite ends of the roadbed members are bevelled as indicated at 19. In the caseof the members 9 of Fig. 3, these bevelled ends are the ones that rest upon the upper flanges of the transverse beams carried by the lower posts 7, int order that the members may be conveniently removed by initially lifting these ends and then withdrawing the cut ends from beneath the flanges under which they are normally fitted. In the case of the members 9 of Fig. 4, the bevelled ends rest upon that flange of each I shaped beam above which there is no upper flange, so that these ends of the members may be initially lifted in removing these mem ers to make an opening in the roadway.

It is obvious that in the embodiments of Figs. 3 and 4 the depth of the roadbed members will be in such relation 'to the beams upoi which they rest as to produce a smooth roa WVhile in the embodiments of the invention illustrated a plurality of separate removable roadbed members are shown it will be understood that two or more of these members may be fastened together to permit them to be conveniently removed or replaced as a unit, and lessen the time required for manipulating them.

The present invention avoids the disadhowever, every vantages of fixed shafts and platforms at predetermined points and may be used as a substitute for them throughout an entire excavation. The invention, however, is equally adapted for use in connection with such shafts to provide openings at intermediate points as may be required. For instance, under certain conditions a shaft provided with a ramp'may be constructed so that suitable excavating apparatus may be driven into the excavation and the decking of the invention may then be employed to permit the convenient removal of the excavated material' as the apparatus progresses through the excavation and the supplying of structural materials by means of portable derricks on the roadway, as described above.

It will also be understood that various other changes in the structural details of the invention may be made without departing from its principles as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cut and cover method of constructing a subway under a roadway which consists of providing supporting members at spaced intervals along the edges of the roadway, placing girders transversely of said roadway and supporting them by said spaced supporting members, placing a plurality of removable members directly upon said girders to form a temporary roadway which may be opened by the removal of several of said removable members to allow direct access below the temporary roadway at a point where subway construction is to be performed.

2. A cut and cover method of constructing a subway under a roadway which consists of placing upright supporting members at spaced intervals along the edges of the roadway. connecting said upright members with girders, placing a plurality of removable members directly upon said girders to form a temporary roadway which may be opened by the removal of several of said removable members to allow direct access below the temporary roadway at a point where subway construction is to be performed.

3. A cut and cover method of constructing a subway under a roadway which consists of providing upright supporting members at spaced intervals along the edges of the roadway, placing girders transversely of said roadway and supporting them by said upright members, placing a plurality of removable members directly upon said girders to form a temporary roadway which may be opened by the removal of several of said re movable members to allow excavating the roadway below the temporary roadway, and then supporting sheathing members by said upright members as the excavation advances to support the side walls of the excavation against inward displacement.

4. A cut and cover method of constructing a subway under a roadway which consists of providing upright supporting members at spaced intervals along the edges of the roadway connecting said upright members with girders transversing said roadway to maintain said uprights against inward displacement, placing a pluralit of removable members directly upon sai girders to form a temporary roadway and supporting by said upright members a plurality of sheathing members to prevent the side walls of the excavation from caving inwardly as the excavation advances.

5. A cut and cover method of constructing a subway under a roadway which consists of providing upright supporting members at spaced intervals along the edges of the roadway, connecting said upright members with girders transversing said roadway to maintain said uprights against inward displacement as well-as supporting said girders, placing a plurality of removable members directly upon said girders to form a temporary roadway which may be opened by the removal of several of said removable members to allow direct access below the temporary roadway at a point where subway construction work is to be performed, an supporting a plurality of sheathing members by said upright members to prevent the side walls of the excavation from caving inwardly as the subway construction work advances.

G. A method of constructing a decking or temporary roadway for subway construction work which consists of providing -shaped supports extending transversely of the proposed line of subway construction at spaced intervals, and then bridging the spaces by providing supports to form a temporary roadway which is removable in sections oi limited area at any desired point to allow access below the temporary roadway at a point where subway construction is to be performed.

7. A method of constructing a decking or temporary roadway for subway construction work which consists of providing t-l-shaped supports extending transversely of the proposed line of subway construction and bridging the spaces between the successive supports with separable material forming a temporary roadway which is removable between successive supports to allow direct access below the temporary roadway at a point where subway construction work is to be performed.

8. A method of constructing a decking or temporary roadway for a proposed subway which consists of providing ,-shaped sup ports extending transversely of the line of the proposed subway, bridging the spaces between the successive supports, placing a plurality of removable members direct y upon said supports to form a temporary roadway which may be opened by several of said removable members to allow direct access below the temporary roadway at a point where subway construction work is to be performed, and placing sheathinglmembers against vertical sides ofthe'rl-s aped supports to prevent the side walls from caving inwardly as the subway construction work is advanced. In testeijnony whereof I aflix my signature.

HN B. GOLDSBOROUGH. 

